The History of Lithium Ion Batteries

Dreams of increasing safety shape the history of lithium-ion batteries.

The history of lithium-ion batteries begins with chemistry and ends with innovation. Lithium ions add safety advantages to rechargeable battery technology. As a result, they are a popular source of power for cell phones, medical instruments, power tools and other portable devices.

Lithium

The first step in tapping into lithium's potential took place in 1817. Johann Arfvedson isolated the lithium ion and named it after the Greek word "lithos," which means stone. Almost 100 years later, Gilbert Newton Lewis, the dean of the chemistry department at the University of California at Berkeley, began paving the way for today's lithium-ion battery through his research. However, the first non-rechargeable lithium batteries were not commercially available until the early 1970s, according to Isidor Buchmann, founder of Cadex Electronics.

Metal's Role

The non-rechargeable lithium batteries of the 1970s and 1980s contained lithium metal. Safety concerns about rechargeable lithium metal batteries emerged because of potentially violent reactions to temperature changes. After a Japanese man suffered facial burns from exposure to a volatile lithium metal battery, the unacceptable instability spurred increases in lithium-ion research.

Turning Points

A significant advance in technology expanded the lithium battery's potential. "The invention of an intercalation battery electrode technology is a landmark solid-state chemistry achievement," said Charles J. Scuilla, IOMAXIS Federal Programs vice-president. This invention gave lithium ions "rechargeability." By 1991, the accomplishment, achieved by the efforts of Dr. John Goodenough and Dr. M. Stanley Wittingham, prompted the commercialization of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

Commercialization

The Sony Corporation was the first to introduce lithium-ion battery technology to consumers, beginning the modern evolution of lithium-ion chemistry. In 1997, battery producers turned away from the use of coke as a negative electrode and replaced it with graphite.

Quantum Leap

On November 16th, 2009, the University of Dayton Research Institute claimed a "quantum leap in energy storage technology." Their announcement of "the first solid-state, rechargeable lithium-air battery" may present an eventual threat to the lithium-ion battery. The university's researchers said the new technology meets demands for safer lithium-based batteries. However, Eric Isaacs, director of Argonne National Labs, said, "The obstacles to Li-air batteries becoming a viable technology are formidable and will require innovations in materials science, chemistry and engineering." As of March 2010, the reign of the lithium-ion battery is safe.

References

• Cadex Electronics: Will Lithium-Ion Batteries Power the New Millennium?
• Battcon Stationary Battery Conference: The Commercialization of Lithium Battery Technology
• Battery University: The High-Power Lithium-Ion
• University of Dayton Research Institute: Battery Breakthrough!
• Green Car Congress: Argonne National Labs Ramping Up Lithium-Air Research and Development; Li-ion as EV "Bridge Technology"

Resources

• National Central University: Introduction to Lithium Batteries